


Anywhere but here

by JYeffect



Category: The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-01
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-10-26 01:08:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10776303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JYeffect/pseuds/JYeffect
Summary: Somehow, she seemed to know where to find him. And she had disturbed his solitude on multiple occasions. Needless to say - much to his discontent.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I have risen from the dead. Sorta. I've been fighting rather hard to get myself out of a (Milathos) writer's block. And I think I may have, at least semi, succeeded.  
> So I bring you this, which I'll keep at only two parts. I hope.. It wasn't even supposed to be two parts, but only a short one-shot, but here we are.. I blame Milathos.

It was solitude Athos was seeking, whenever he ditched his brothers and decided to drink in some random tavern on the outskirts of Paris. Unfortunately, getting away from them wasn’t as easy as one would think; in fact, they made it fairly difficult. They knew that - whenever he managed to take off on his own - he would sit down in the tavern, bask in his own self-pity, misery, and pain, while drinking until they closed their doors. Needless to say, by the time Athos left the tavern, he was usually so drunk that finding his way back home was near impossible and more often than not, he would just pass out somewhere in an alleyway until the next morning. 

While neither Treville nor Aramis, Porthos or d’Artagnan were too fond of it, it was the way Athos preferred it. Alone and in pain - just the way he deserved it. 

Usually, he was rather successful in being on his own. Either they didn’t bother going after him once they had realized he had disappeared, or they had simply not been able to find him. However, _she_ was a whole different story. Somehow, _she_ seemed to know where to find him. And _she_ had disturbed his solitude on multiple occasions. Needless to say - much to his discontent. 

Athos had tried anything he could think of - different types of taverns (he even had gone to brothels on multiple occasions), in different parts of Paris, further and further outside of the city. And yet, he could never shake her. It was almost as if she was his shadow. 

“Sometimes I wonder if you _want_ me to find you. You are making it too easy for me, dear Athos.” 

That all too familiar voice made him cringe and he had to close his eyes for a moment to keep his composure. “All I want is peace and solitude, yet here you are. Following me around like a stray dog. What exactly _is_ your obsession with me, _Milady_?” 

“Obsession? Don’t flatter yourself. I just enjoy watching you wallow in your self-pity. It’s pathetic and fascinating at the same time.” Her smile was sweet, but her eyes were wicked, sending a cold shiver down his spine. 

How had he ever been in love with something so cruel? And why, just _why,_ did he find himself drawn to her still? 

The only reply he could muster was a quiet scoff, before he emptied his cup and got up to get a new one. When he passed by her, she got a hold of his arm and stopped him from walking away. “Would you be so kind as to bring me one as well?” 

Athos just glanced (or more like glared) at her and pulled his arm free from her grip so he could continue on to the bar. After a lengthy inner battle, he did get her a cup of wine as well, justifying it with ‘well, if I don’t get her one, she will just steal mine and drink from it’. She had done so before, and most likely would do so again. 

Walking back over to their table, he sat back down and placed the cup in front of her. Of course, it earned him a smug grin; which alone was enough to irritate him. “I just didn’t want you to steal mine again.”, “Of course.”

After that, they both fell silent and just drank their wine. Athos couldn’t quite understand why exactly she sought him out time and time again. Every time it ended up like this. There was barely conversation, they hardly even argued. Most of the time they were just sitting together, in silence so heavy it felt like he was being crushed underneath it. Arguing, threatening and hating each other - he knew how to handle that, he knew how to respond to it. But silence? That was a fight he did not know how to win. 

Sometimes, he wondered if silence was her intention, for it gave him too much time to think, too much time to glance at her and be reminded of how beautiful she was, too much time to contemplate reaching out and taking her hand into his like they had done so many countless times years ago. 

No. He wouldn’t fall back into her trap, not again. He was wiser now, had learned his lesson and suffered the consequences for it. 

Athos had spaced out for a moment and hadn’t noticed how another guy had approached their table. Needless to say, it wasn’t him who that guy wanted to talk to. Though _talking_ perhaps wasn’t the right word for it. Not with the way he ogled Milady and whispered words in her ear Athos couldn’t hear. What was worse was _her_ mischievous smile, as she listened to the guy, but at the same time kept her eyes locked with his own. Her intentions were obvious and Athos _knew_  she was just waiting for any sort of response from him. so he was determined not to give her one. 

That resolution of his only lasted for a good minute until he sat up straight, grabbed the guy by his jacket and pulled him close. “Can’t you see that she is sitting here with _me_? Now, I will tell you kindly and only once - go find someone else whose tits you can stare at.” 

Apparently, his glare and tone must have been threatening enough, as the other backed off with his hands held up. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous-”, “Not jealous. Merely irritated by his presence. Couldn’t keep his eyes where they belong. He had no manners.” Milady just smiled in amusement, while she rested her elbow on the table and her chin in the palm of her hand. “You are a terrible liar, Athos.”, “Well, we can’t _all_ be as terrific at it as you now, can we?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HERE WE GO. The second part. Kind of turned out differently than I planned, but I think it's still alright. Either way, I hope you guys like it.

A couple of hours and about three bottles of wine (Athos had drunk most of them, of course) later, the tavern had mostly cleared out. They were about to close down for the night and were urging people to, to say it with the host's words, 'get the hell out'. On one side, he had to say he was relieved that they were being kicked out. For one, he was tired of the silence, even if there was occasional sneering in between. And for two, it meant he could _finally_ part ways with Milady.  On the other, he wasn't too happy about having to leave. Because it meant no more drinking and, well, parting ways with Milady. 

Either way, he got up and made his way out of the tavern. Unfortunately, due to being as intoxicated as he was, he wasn't as sure-footed and swift as usually and she had caught up with him by the time he had made it out of the door. "Do try to make it a little more difficult for me to find you tomorrow. I wouldn't mind a bit of a challenge." Rolling his eyes, Athos just glanced over his shoulder, rather than turning around to face her. "Perhaps I will just stay at home and drink there." 

He knew she couldn't possibly dare to be so bold and sneak into his place just to torture him again. Right?

With no intention to give her a chance to give him an answer - most likely because he figured he was better off _not_ knowing - he just walked off. Much to his surprise, she didn't seem to follow him and he let out a relieved sigh once he turned into a different street. 

Athos hadn't gotten too far when he heard some commotion - some sort of struggle, it sounded like - which made him stop in his tracks. For a few moments, he strained his ears to listen, when he heard Milady's voice protesting and arguing with someone. Without even thinking about it, Athos had already turned around and ran back towards the tavern, rapier in hand. As soon as he returned to the street he had just come from, he could see someone towering over her and trapping her between the wall and himself. For a moment Athos was wondering why she didn't do anything about it - knowing damn well that she was capable of defending herself - when he realized that her hands seemed to be trapped as well, preventing her from grabbing the stiletto or any other weapon she was most likely carrying. 

Temporarily, he was so dumbfounded by the whole situation that he  _forgot_ to react entirely. It wasn't until the guy reached up and grabbed her by the neck that anger suddenly took over Athos' mind.  _No_ one had the right to treat her that way. Storming towards them, he had to hold back to not just go ahead and stab the guy, but instead just point the tip of his blade at his neck. "If you value your life, I would suggest taking your fingers off of her  _now._ " It was obvious the guy was stunned for a moment, though he took his hands off of her the moment he had recovered and backed off. It was then that Athos saw his face and realized it was the same guy who had tried to flirt with her earlier on. Which led him to drop his rapier and instead lunge forward to punch that piece of scum right in the face. 

After picking his rapier back up and holstering it, he grabbed Milady's hand and pulled her along, away from the tavern and into the next street. "I hope you do not expect me to thank you now. I could have taken care of it myself." She stopped and pulled his hand away from his, before crossing her arms in front of her chest. Athos noted that it seemed to be more in an attempt to comfort herself, rather than being dismissive of him. "I am aware that you are fully capable of taking care of it yourself. But it seemed like-", "I had it under control." 

Sighing, Athos turned around and took a hesitant step towards her. For the first time ever since she had come back into his life, he saw her in a different light - not as a cold-blooded assassin, but as vulnerable and very much human. Or at least, it was the first time he openly admitted it to himself. "I just heard you struggle and when I came back, it seemed like you were unable to get a hold of your weapon. Then I saw him choke you, I just- I couldn't just stand there and do nothing. I couldn't just let him treat you that way." , "Oh, like you are such a saint, Athos. Barely a year ago it was you who had his hand around my throat, and wished a noose around my neck." Her words felt like she had just stabbed him right in his heart, but he had no right denying it. It was the truth and they both knew it. 

Silence took over, while Athos processed her words. Had it been any other night, any other encounter, Athos would have just turned around and walked away. He would have pretended once again, like so many times before, that she was the monster and he had had any right to think and feel that way. But tonight he took a step towards her, closing the distance between them. "I know there is nothing that can change the past, right the wrongs and undo things I have said and done, but.. I am sorry, Anne." 

At first, there was disbelief written all over her face. And he couldn't blame her, he probably wouldn't have believed himself either. "You are a terrible liar, Athos." It wasn't more than a whisper and it didn't sound like she truly meant it, but was trying to convince herself of it being a lie instead. "I wasn't lying." Her eyes locked with his, as if searching for the answer to her yet unspoken question. "Do you sincerely mean it?" 

"I do." Her hand reached up and came to rest on his cheek; a rather simple gesture, yet powerful enough to knock the air out of his lungs and the walls he had built up around him down. "Does that mean you believe me?" Saying that he believed her meant admitting all the things he had denied for so long. It meant admitting that he had been wrong, he had been at fault. It would mean admitting that he had been the monster who had sentenced her to death - his own wife - and created Milady in the process because it was the only way for her to survive. It would mean admitting that he had condemned her over and over again, even though he had been no better than her. It would mean admitting that he had been so blinded by pride, pain, and anger, that he had refused to give her even a chance. 

He should be begging on his knees for forgiveness, yet all she asked was for him to believe her. All she asked was for him to believe that his own arrogant - and always favourited by everyone - younger brother had tried to take the only thing from him that had ever meant anything to him and when she refused, tried to take her by force. Perhaps, had he not been so busy pitying himself and convincing himself that all she had ever wanted was his money and his title, he wouldn't have been so blind to the truth. 

"Athos?" Her voice brought him back to reality, yet he avoided to look at her. The pain and regret and _guilt_ he felt was overwhelming. 

He knew he had been wrong - he had known it the moment he had seen her with the noose around her neck. 

"I should have never doubted you." His voice broke mid-sentence and he struggled to hold himself together. The last time he had failed to had been back in Pinot, when he had seen her again for the first time after five years. "It is me who has been the criminal all along. I am the monster." There was no agreement; no snarky remark, not even a satisfied chuckle. Instead, he felt her hand come to rest on his other cheek- and then her lips on his own. 

And for that moment, the world felt alright. For that moment, it didn't matter if either of them were monsters or noble, or criminal. For that moment, they were Comte and Comtesse de la Fère.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GASPS. Did I just end it on a semi-cliffhanger? Yup, sure did. Whoops. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


End file.
